


the fabric of your existence

by pleurer



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Sharing Clothes, more like stealing clothes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:28:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28167036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pleurer/pseuds/pleurer
Summary: Tony's shirts are going missing, and there's only one culprit.
Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark
Comments: 9
Kudos: 174
Collections: Ironspiders Georg Secret Stocking Stuffer Exchange 2020





	the fabric of your existence

**Author's Note:**

  * For [textbookchoices](https://archiveofourown.org/users/textbookchoices/gifts).



> Happy holidays, aohatsu! <3

Peter probably thought Tony wouldn’t notice on account of the sheer amount of clothing he owned. And he was right. The first few times, Tony didn’t notice at all. He would have continued to not notice, if it weren’t for the time when Peter nearly forgot his notebook on Tony’s couch, and Tony kindly reached over to slip it into his backpack. 

Peter jumped about two meters high, which was not even a hyperbole, due to his superpowers. And he snatched the bag and the notebook out of Tony’s hands faster than Tony had ever seen him move before, probably even faster than two weeks ago when he’d knocked the gun out of that criminal’s hand.

“ThanksforthenotebookMrStarkIgotitfromherethanks,” said Peter in a long, jumbled, highly strained string of words. 

Tony raised an eyebrow. “Alright, then.” 

Except it was not alright, because out the corner of the opened bag, Tony clearly saw the sleeve of his own t-shirt that had mysteriously gone missing.

Before he could answer the question on the tip of Tony’s tongue, Peter dashed out of Tony’s lab, leaving Tony alone to contemplate the kid’s strange behaviour.

Well— Peter  _ was  _ growing taller lately, so that probably explained it. It pained Tony the way he turned down all his offers for financial assistance. It also pained Tony the way that his shoulders were growing broader, cheekbones more defined, and that he was turning into a fine young man. It still didn’t quite feel real that their feelings were  _ mutual.  _ Tony often caught himself daydreaming about the kid, only to remind himself that Peter  _ wasn’t  _ a kid anymore, that Peter was… his. 

But he digresses. The point was that if Peter needed new clothes, Tony could get him something nicer than he’d ever worn with just a wave of his hand. Why all this sneaking around? Knowing Peter, it was probably his pride. And Tony had no intention of damaging that, but that didn’t mean he could leave the issue unaddressed.

Well. If Peter’s dead set on stealing Tony’s clothes, then Tony might as well give him something nice to steal.

He starts leaving nice blazers slung over the back of his chair, expensive dress shirts a couple sizes smaller than he normally wears— he  _ does  _ have Peter’s measurements to a T for suit-making purposes, and if he happens to use them for other purposes too, then it’s just a matter of convenience. If anything, it’s Peter’s fault for stealing Tony’s clothes in the first place— is what he would say if a single nerve in his body had the ability to hold anything against Peter. The kid is the best thing that’s happened to him in ages, and  _ free clothes  _ is the least Tony could do for him.

Except Peter doesn’t take them. Doesn’t even look at them when he comes over for the weekly lab sessions (yes, that’s still a thing they do— because why not? The kid is brilliant, an undisputable fact whether Tony is into him or not). Instead, Peter launches right into an excited outburst about the idea for new web-shooters he has. It’s a testament to his genius that Tony is more than willing to forget about the shirt problem and listen to him talk. Or maybe a testament to the way his eyes light up and his cheeks grow rosy with excitement, and how when he moves, a little stray curl flops down over his forehead. Whatever. Peter works his magic, and the lab session is over in the blink of an eye.

And yet mysteriously, that night when Tony checks his closet, his old t-shirt is back in there, washed and folded— and another one is gone.

The next week, Tony tries again. Maybe he’s been too  _ upscale  _ with his orders. College kids probably didn’t parade around in business formal, right? He shouldn’t make Peter feel awkward. Instead, he buys some of those nerdy-looking graphic t-shirts he always sees Peter wear, with the little chemistry puns on them.

“Hey, Mr. Stark,” says Peter, gingerly lifting the shirt off the back of Tony’s chair. He frowns. “Did you, uh— did you have somebody over earlier?” 

Tony frowns. “No. No, I did not. No, kid, I’d never. I mean, we’re—” What exactly were they?  _ Together  _ sounded a little forward. Peter had confessed only a couple weeks ago, and Tony had agreed on the grounds that they took it slow, and that Peter let him know if he overstepped any boundaries. Given that Peter was a) barely nineteen and b) the best thing that happened to Tony, he didn’t want to mess it up. And now apparently Peter thought he was… cheating? “I absolutely did not. What made you think that?” 

“Oh, nothing!” Peter heaves a huge sigh that almost sounds like relief. “I just didn’t think you’d be the type to wear something like this. Pretty funny though, isn’t it?” Peter peers at the text on the shirt and reads it aloud. “‘Once, I told a Chemistry joke. There was no reaction.’” He giggles softly to himself, and Tony definitely does not replay the sound in his head for five minutes afterwards. 

Well. Operation failed. 

The next week, Tony tries something different, something he probably should’ve done all along— he asks Peter about it. Pepper had told him while they were still together that he had the tendency to try and  _ solve  _ things by  _ doing  _ without knowing exactly what the problem was. And hey, for all his flaws, Tony absolutely wants to try his best to make this thing with Peter last.

“Hey, kid,” he says casually as Peter swings in through the window. 

“Hey, Mr. Stark!” Peter’s smile fades a little when he sees Tony. “What’s up?” 

Tony clears his throat. “Do you… need clothes?” 

Peter furrows his brows in confusion. “Um, what?” 

“Don’t think I didn’t notice, alright? My favorite t-shirts have been going missing.” 

In an instant, Peter’s face turns beet red to match his suit. “Oh no,” he squeaks out.

“Kid,” says Tony, exasperated. “There’s nothing to be shy about. If you were outgrowing your old clothes, you could’ve just asked for new ones. I could get you anything you want or need. It’d be more than fair, given all the good work you’ve been doing in my lab. I’ve told you many times, I’ve got more money than I know what to do with.” 

Peter scrunches his face up in confusion. And then he laughs. 

“Pete? What’s so funny? I’m missing the joke here, and that never happens. I’m always the one cracking them.”

“How did you come up with this conclusion that’s just— so completely out of left field, but miss the most obvious one?” 

“The most obvious one?” Tony pauses. “What’s obvious? You gotta help me out here, kid.”

Peter bites his lip, like he’s said too much. “Listen, Mr. Stark— Tony. I just— I just wanted something of yours to keep while you weren’t around, you know? I know we agreed to take it slow, but we haven’t really done anything at all, and I know we’ve both been busy but I just  _ missed you _ , okay? And besides, I was going to give it back.” He digs around in his backpack and tosses Tony the second shirt that he stole, faint blush still tickling his cheeks.

Tony catches it, and blinks. He blinks again. 

“Oh,” he says, finally understanding. And then he curls a hand behind the nape of Peter’s neck and kisses him, soft and slow. Peter stills in surprise at first, then kisses back eagerly for a few moments before Tony pulls away. 

“Next time you want something, just ask,” says Tony. “I’m head over heels for you, kid. You can have as many of my shirts as you want.” 

“That’s okay,” says Peter. He smiles as he wraps his arms around Tony. “I’d rather just have you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted in December & redated January 1 for author reveals.


End file.
